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Lottery executive wants state to investigate her
Friday, June 23, 2006 posted 11:34 AM EDT
Hoosier Lottery Executive Director Esther Schneider said she hopes the state's inspector general does investigate an anonymous
complaint lodged against her that accuses her of numerous ethical and legal transgressions.
Such an investigation, she said, would exonerate her. She released an internal audit report dated June 14 that cleared her
of charges that she improperly awarded two lottery contracts and found no violation for purchasing Indiana Pacers tickets
to be given to lottery retailers.
Lottery Auditor Brian Slavens, however, also issued a Feb. 24 memo to Schneider, which she released, saying she had violated
state law by paying claims to winners in the discontinued Hoosier Millionaire game for several weeks after the cut-off date
of Dec. 21.
The complaint purportedly sent to the inspector general, and circulated anonymously to lawmakers and others, also accused
her of doing political work on state time. Schneider denied that, though she said she had spent $5,000 of lottery funds to
help sponsor Sen. Richard Lugar's Excellence in Public Service luncheon for Republican women in February. She said she did
so to promote the lottery, but that Gov. Mitch Daniels, who spoke at that luncheon, afterward told her that was inappropriate.
Inspector General David Thomas said he cannot discuss any investigation. He said that, in general, filing a complaint does
not mean an investigation will ensue beyond an initial review.
Schneider has come under fire since taking over at the lottery in 2005. Two lawsuits are pending in U.S. District Court in
Indianapolis, one challenging her treatment of a current employee and one challenging the firings of several employees.
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